“Rocky Ground” by Bruce Springsteen

"Rocky Ground" is a Bruce Springsteen song from Wrecking Ball, his 2012 album, and it became the record's second single in the most vinyl-nerd way possible: a limited 7-inch, 45-rpm pressing sold only in select shops on April 21, 2012, for Record Store Day. Springsteen wrote it alone and produced it with Ron Aniello, and the two of them lay down the bones, guitars, drums and drum machine, with Aniello adding bass and keyboards and Springsteen banjo and percussion.

Then it opens up like a Sunday service. Michelle Moore shares the vocal, the Victorious Gospel Choir swells behind them, Charles Giordano plays Hammond organ and piano, and a crew of horns and reeds, from Art Baron's tuba to Curt Ramm's trumpet, fills in the corners. Rolling Stone named it the 7th best song of 2012.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.